1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to apparatus, methods and systems for testing electronic equipment. More particularly, the apparatus, methods and systems related to synthetic instruments for testing electronic equipment. Specifically, the apparatus, methods and systems of the present invention relate to synthetic instruments based vector network analyzer for testing electronic equipment.
2. Background Information
The previous generations of aviation support equipment dating back over the past forty years (i.e., VAST, CASS) show that continuous change in avionics and test technology is inevitable. “Technology gallop” as well as the changing mission landscape in terms of units under test (UUTs) to be supported in the future is ever changing. This dynamic situation often results in a mismatch between the operational units to be supported in the field and the test support systems required to RFI and diagnose these systems.
In the past, naval aviation in the United States has generally relied on a combination of conventional rack and stack test equipment and special roll-ups or test benches to fulfill the test requirements of this dynamic support environment. This situation has often resulted in inflexible, redundant, and costly hardware centric solutions that are often both difficult to support and prone to obsolescence due to the “technology gallop” previously mentioned. In fact, the greatest challenge to the eCASS program is its ability to both satisfy legacy support requirements while at the same time keep in sync with and satisfying future/emerging requirements, in order to keep eCASS technically viable and relevant going forward. This is a daunting challenge, especially in the RF/MW arena where the testing requirements can often be complex and exacting. Clearly a new paradigm is required that provides a pragmatic solution to this challenge. There is need for better synthetic instrumentation.